Skinny Asparagus & Pea Soup

I am starting this Monday with some green goodness of Asparagus and Peas. I have been wanting to use more Asparagus in our daily meals and this time when i got a bunch, i really wanted to make some warm, cozy soup with it. If this gorgeous green hue is not enough to get you addicted, the flavor and nutrition surely would ! So, let’s begin the week on a healthy note with this delicious and skinny Asparagus & Pea soup.

My yesterday’s trip to the farmers market turned out to be really fruitful. I got myself some bunches of really fresh and tender Asparagus. This vegetable has been one of the newest veggies i have introduced in my kitchen. I have been eyeing these for a long time but just like it took me months to commit to buying Kale, i took my sweet time to buy my first bunch of Asparagus.

My journey with the green vegetable

Asparagus was one of those unfamiliar vegetables which came with a “coolness tag” for me when i went for my first grocery shopping in Canada. For some reason i kept my cooking experiments to boundaries of familiar vegetables for almost 2 years in Canada but then as i got comfortable with new spices, i started making my way to the aisles of new vegetables as well 🙂

Green Soups

I have always loved the sight of green soups ! The color says it all – freshness, promise of good health and detox !! As soon as i bought the pound of asparagus from the kind lady at the market, she asked me what am i going to whip up and i looked at the cloudy weather and said -” i guess a bowl of cozy soup !” While i traveled back home, my mind kept swinging between a stir fry and the soup but then the weather was in demand of a hot bowl of comfort and i could not agree more.

This is my first ever try at an Asparagus soup and i have gone with my instincts as far as the ingredients go. My inspiration was really my till date fav green soup – Broccoli Almond Soup. So, let’s dig into the recipe and make this soup !

Skinny Asparagus and Pea Soup

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: medium
Print

Ingredients

1 pound Asparagus
1 cup peas (I used frozen but you can use the fresh ones too)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (red onions will work best)
1 tablespoon butter
3-4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup milk (I used skim milk)
2 cups vegetable stock/ water
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Method

Begin with chopping the asparagus into 1 inch long pieces. The lower part of the asparagus tends to be hard, fibrous and chewy, so cut about last 1 inch and discard. Another trick that works for chopping asparagus for soup is just breaking the bit with your fingers, if the stem breaks easily with minimal effort, it is tender and is good for use. The last inch or so would be hard and won’t break easily, discard that last bit.
Now, take a heavy bottom pan and add the butter to it. Let it melt and then add in the garlic and saute till the garlic turns golden brown. Next, add in the onion and saute on medium high till the onions start to caramelize.
Next, add in the peas and asparagus. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes till the asparagus start to cook down and shrink a bit.
Now, add in the milk and vegetable stock. Mix well and cook till it boils for a couple of minutes. Remove and let it cool down a bit.
Blend in a food processor/blender. The thick chunky soup is ready for you to enjoy. If you like the smooth version (like i do), push it through a sieve or food mill.
To serve, add some stir fried peas on top of the soup, a slight sprinkle of black pepper and a drizzle of live oil/butter (if you fancy :P)

This soup looks inviting right?

The soup tastes similar to a good cream of asparagus soup and it is still so light that one can easily have 2 small servings for a meal. The combination of peas and asparagus works great and while both of them bring a light, fresh color to the soup, this green soup is also full of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. The asparau brings the nutty flavour and the peas compliment the nuttiness with it sweet and buttery taste. Me and the husband gave this soup 5 stars ! you go and make this monday meatless with this satisfying soup !

Looking for more soups? Head over to my soups/beverages section below and bookmark your favorite to prepare 🙂